Totally Not Traught
by Charlie Grayson
Summary: "Artemis, look at me." He said, his voice angry and sad. I knew what that meant; this wouldn't be solved tonight. I turned my gaze to look at him, and he did the same, until both our eyes met. "Why did you do it?" RobArt/Traught R&R Rated T because of ever so slight kissing


**So, I've been reading up on a bunch of Artemis/Robin pairing fics lately, and I just really like that couple. I don't know why, but I don't seem to like WallArt as much, although I do like them. I am seriously hoping that there's some Tigress/Nightwing action. **

**By the way, this story may or may not be a little OOC. But I don't really care, because it's been in my head for a while now. So enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters. All belong to DC Comics and/or Cartoon Network. **

Thoughts bounced around in my head, like bouncy balls in a racket ball court, their echoes filling the deepest voids of my mind. Much like the long gone echoes of the door slamming back into place echoed through my now empty home.

I hadn't moved, not since he left. I'd remained leaning over the marble covered island in the middle of the kitchen, using it to support my weight. It'd been an immeasurable amount of time, the sound of his words and the door repeating on a loop in my mind.

Why did he always do this? How could I always let him get away with this? He'd get my heart racing, then he'd make me so mad, and then I'd find myself questioning my own reasons. In the end, I'd be crawling back. The vicious cycle of love and hate that had trapped me in it's cage showed no intentions of letting me go.

I realized I'd better pick up the kitchen a bit. He would be mad if I didn't, and that would only sky rocket another episode. Although I was never one to just give in, I couldn't handle another fight tonight. And the house really was a mess.

Chairs which had been angrily thrown across the room were now scattered, some showing small signs of being slightly broken. The table had been flipped over, and the bills were crumpled up and casually tossed around the room. The strangest, and possibly most disturbing, thing was the large knife halfway jammed through the table.

I couldn't tell if I'd started crying as I picked up the debris, not until it had turned into full blown sobs and had me hunched over on the floor, leaning against the kitchen cabinets. Hugging my knees to my chest, as if they were the only comfort I'd ever get, I sobbed into my arms. The end of the long T shirt I was wearing fell down along my thighs, crumpling at my wasteline.

What was wrong with me? I'd promised myself I'd never let Wally make me cry again. I'd never felt so alone, having too much pride to call one of my friends, like Zatanna or Bette.

As yet another sob shook my body, rattling my spine and shaking me to the core, I could hear the door bell ring. I knew it wasn't him, he was probably at Roy's, or his uncle's.

I didn't want to answer the door, I wanted to hide away in the deepest darkest corner of the house and never let anyone see me cry.

"Artemis?" I couldn't pin point the voice, or the location other than the fact it was inside. Not that I really cared. My concern on the matter was slight, as I fruitlessly tried to suppress the sobs that were now out of control.

I felt his arms wrap around me, and I felt myself cuddle into his chest. It was pathetic, I'm sure, and I was so ashamed of myself for needing it. But he'd never been one to judge. I pressed my face deeper into the crook of his neck, and I felt his chin rest on the top of my head. The soft fabric of his shirt was lightly scented with his cologne, it was husky and manly.

"I'm ruining your shirt." I sniffled after several moments of allowing him to embrace me. I'd finally suppressed my cries, and was now wiping the tears from my cheeks. I looked up into those sparkling blue eyes, the eyes of the only person I'd trust to hold me at a time like this.

Dick.

"I don't care." He laughed slightly, his chest swelling up against my face with every breath he took. "Artemis, you need to tell me what happened."

My heart froze, and tears resurfaced, although not as severely as before. They gently rolled down my face, staining his blue, cotton shirt and plastering small strands of hair to my face. He hugged me slightly tighter, flexing his arm which was wrapped around my curled up back.

"He's just mad that I agreed to this whole scheme." I muttered, while I struggled to get up. Dick grasped my wrist, pulling me back down on the floor beside him. I fell back down again next to him.

"I shouldn't have asked… I'm sorry…" he trailed, trying to hold my gaze, despite my lack of being able to look at him for an extended period of time.

"No, he's just over reacting. It's not your fault." I looked up into his eyes, his bright blue, sympathetic eyes. They burned, blue standing our amongst his ebony hair. His fingers gently pulled stray hands of my own blonde hair. I could see so much in his eyes; sympathy, pity, concern, and contentment.

And I didn't want to be there anymore. I didn't want to stare up as his sympathy, because I didn't need it.

I got up, walking to the living room and sitting on the couch, fully aware that he was close behind me, and then I could feel his weight lower the cushion next to me.

I allowed him to put his arms around me, seeking comfort in the warmth of his chest. I began counting the beats of his heart, 1…2…3…4…

It seemed to match the beat of my own heart, both beating in almost perfect harmony.

"Artemis?" he asked, as though he'd been saying something that I hadn't been paying attention to. I looked up at him, resting my chin on his chiseled chest. His blue eyes looked down at me yet again, this time not sympathetic, but content.

And all in an instant, out faces were so close I could feel his warm breath gently caress down my cheek. His blue eyes bore into my purple ones, until our eye lids fluttered closed and our lips met.

His were so soft, moving with mine, fulfilling my every need. I could feel my back straighten and my body inched closer to his. He released me, allowing me to get more comfortable on the couch, the only part of us still touching being our lips.

He moved down my neck, bobbing up and down and planting small, wet kisses that made my skin tingle with excitement. I threw my head back, my breath becoming raspy as he ran his hands up and down my sides.

He paused, bringing his head up and staring back into my eyes before out lips met once more. I was barely aware of my arms snaking their way around his neck, or his that wrapped around my waist and brought me closer.

He picked me up, one hand under my knees and one supporting my back, and we made our way towards the hallway. Our lips never parted. It all felt so right, Dick's arms instead of Wally's, his lips, his concern, our connection. It'd been waiting for so long and now that we were actually together, I couldn't think of why it needed to stop.

Until Grayson stopped in the middle of the hallway.

His lips stopped moving against mine, and his look was one mixed with pure horror and anger. I looked at him for a moment, realizing his cerulean gaze was fixated on a certain figure at the other end of the hallway.

Turning my own stormy gaze to follow his, I saw Wally, and my heart stopped. His green eyes were the only thing visible in the shadow of his form, and they glared daggers at his long time best friend.

"Wally…" I started, guilty nausea suddenly overwhelming me, making me grateful for my apparent lover's holding onto me. Wally slowly stepped out of the shadows, his fists shaking and his eyes slowly tearing up.

"How could you?" he said quietly. His words shook with anger, or was he just trying to hold back his tears? I could see them, brimming at the edges of his eyes.

That, naturally, only made my guilt worse. The room seemed to be spinning around me, and there was a numbness gnawing at the pit of my stomach. The edges of my vision had begun to blur into darkness, sending me spiraling into the guilt of getting caught.

"Wally, I think you should-"

"Don't start with me, _Dick_." Wally said, his words dripping with venom. He spoke his friend's name slower, as though it was a poisonous word. "You were my best friend! And Artemis… _was_ my girlfriend!"

"Wally, it's not like that!" I said before I thought about it.

"Then please! Tell me what it's like!" he shouted, angry tears rolling down his cheeks.

Dick put me down, gently shoving me behind him. I could feel the blood rushing out of my head. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't help but lean gently on him, just so I wouldn't fall over.

"I'm sorry! We just-"

"Save it." He said, walking quietly, but angrily, into the other room, slamming the door behind him.

A long silence passed between us, both contemplating who should go talk to him, both hoping it would be the other. But we both knew it was me. I knew Wally better, I'd been living with him for three years. I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment before starting after him.

"Just… Wait here, I guess." I muttered over my shoulder, as I walked into the other room.

I opened the bedroom door, light from the hallway spilling onto Wally's slumped form sitting on the other side of the bed, facing the wall. I walked in, not closing the door behind me.

"Wally, let me explain…" I pleaded, not sitting down next to him, but facing away from him. I could feel his fists clench around the sheets of the un-made bed.

"Artemis, look at me." He said, his voice angry and sad. I knew what that meant; this wouldn't be solved tonight. I turned my gaze to look at him, and he did the same, until both our eyes met. "Why did you do it?"

I swallowed, looking at his face. I scrambled to find the words to describe what had happened, what had been going through my head at the time. "I don't know, I was just so mad, and sad and it just sort of happened." I said, wanting so much to reach out and hug him, to seek comfort in his arms like I normally do. But I couldn't do it. "I'm so sorry."

We sat there for a minute, thinking and not noticing the silence that had engulfed us. I knew what he would say, and I savored the moment before he said it, because however much I didn't like the awkward silence, I loathed his coming words.

"Maybe you should leave. Just for the night." He said quietly. "I need to think about this." I hesitantly touched his shoulder, patting it gently before mumbling a weak "Okay."

As I stood to leave, I was surprised by his arms, wrapping around my waist and pulling me into a loving embrace. And it was in that moment, that small minute of a hug, which I knew everything would be okay; in the long run, anyway.

"Artemis?" Dick's voice carried to me from outside his car. "We're here. You coming?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll… I'll be right there." I murmured. He nodded grabbing my overnight bag from beneath my feet before heading towards the dark apartment complex.

As I stepped from the car, I closed my eyes, taking a moment to listen to the sweet sounds of Bludhaven. I'd missed the sounds of the city, it put me on edge, sending goose bumps along my skin. It took me back, to running around Gotham, late at night when Artemis and Robin would go on patrol without Batman's permission.

The city had always calmed me down, made me feel as though I truly did have a purpose in this world. The sense that I was here to protect the people out there was something I'd given up when I'd moved to Polo Alto with Wally.

But I didn't regret it, and in fact, I was beginning to miss the quiet of our small home. But not as much as I'd often found myself yearning for the soothing sounds of the city. And all I could do was sleep through the night, and wait for tomorrow, when I knew everything would turn out okay.

It had to.

**Okay, a slight little issue Wally and Artemis had just before Depths. Of course, though, I had to keep them together because they are together. I just thought they had to have had SOME sort of issues before Artemis went off on this treacherous journey. xD **

**Well, that's all. Let me know what you think. **


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